Richmond (6/24/2014)

The weather is still unbelievably nice for this late in June.  Temperatures at home are in the low 80s or in European terms in the high 20s centigrade (my blog has a lot of visitors from Russia and Germany).  In Richmond it is a bit warmer, but still very bearable.  People you talk to mention that sooner or later “we’ll have to pay for it.”  While I do not think the weather gods act like that, we all know that weather is all about averages and that over the years these averages have been going up.  So yes, the statistics tell us that we will have to pay for it; although I do not think that is the reason we called it “sadistic” in grad school.

Anyway it was just nice to go for my lunch-time walk.  Downtown Richmond is a great place to get some exercise and clear the brain fog.  I either walk along the river or try to hit Capitol Square.  Going to Capitol Square you see all kinds of things: lunch carts, beggars, street musicians, business women and men, and yes a lot of government employees. 

Yesterday, the steps of the Governor’s mansion were full of people for a photo-op.  Today there was just a black SUV parked in front of the steps.  The Governor was either on his way out or in, probably a good thing.

Politics in this state are a mess; very much like what is going on in Washington, DC.  There is just too much polarization and too little cooperation and compromise.  It still amazes me that ordinary people allow politicians to do this, basically to their long-term detriment, but to the benifit of their deep-pocketed donors.  Oh well.

So my walk today took me to capitol square, where I took this picture.  It does not symbolize anything; I just thought it made a pretty shot.  It was just nice to get out.  And yes, I had sun screen on!